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Human tear lysozyme

A comparison of electro-immunodiffusion, radial immunodiffusion and a spectrophotometric assay

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Abstract

In 116 persons (67 men and 49 woman) the tear fluid of both eyes was collected using paper discs and once more after topical anaesthesia. After weighing the discs and eluting the tear fluid, the lysozyme content was measured using two immunological methods [radial immunodiffusion (RID) and rocket immuno-electrophoresis (RIE)] and a spectrophotometric assay. Standard curves were established with purified human lysozyme and egg-white lysozyme. In addition, albumin was determined in all the samples by rocket immuno-electrophoresis. All lysozyme assays showed a high degree of correlation, the spectrophotometric technique giving significantly lower values (compared with RID and RIE) when human lysozyme was used for standardization.

The lysozyme content of the tears did not correlate with the fluid uptake in the discs, but showed a significant decrease with age, which was abolished by topical anaesthesia. In contrast, albumin levels were dependent upon the weight and independent of the age of the patient.

It is suggested that the determination of albumin as a ‘reference protein’ might help in comparing the results of different tear sampling techniques used by various groups, which induce variable amounts of reflex tearing.

Zusammenfassung

Bei 116 Personen ohne Erkrankungen des äußeren Auges (67 Männer und 49 Frauen) wurde Trä nenflüßigkeit beider Augen mit Hilfe von Filterpapierscheibchen gewonnen. Dieser Vorgang wurde nach Applikation eines Lokalanästhetikums wiederholt. Nach dem Auswiegen und Eluieren der Tränenprobe wurde Lysozym mittels zweier immunologischer Methoden (der radialen Immundiffusion und der Immunelektrophorese) sowie einer spectrophotometrischen Technik bestimmt. Zur Erstellung der Standardkurven wurde gereinigtes menschliches, sowie Hühner-Eiweiß-Lysozym verwendet. Zusätzlich wurde Albumin mittels der Immunelektrophorese bestimmt.

Die Werte aller Lysozym-Bestimmungen zeigten eine hohe Korrelation, wobei jedoch die Mittelwerte der turbidimetrischen Technik signifikant unter jenen der immunologischen Methoden lagen, wenn humanes Lysozym zur Erstellung der Standardkurve verwendet wurde.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. II. Univ.-Augenklinik, A-1090, Wien, Österreich

    G. Grabner

  2. II. Univ.-Hautklinik, A-1090, Wien, Österreich

    I. Formanek & T. Luger

  3. Institut für Medizinische Computerwissenschaften der Universität Wien, A-1090, Wien, Österreich

    W. Dorda

Authors
  1. G. Grabner
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  2. I. Formanek
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  3. W. Dorda
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  4. T. Luger
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Additional information

At present research fellow at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, supported by a grant from the Max Kade Foundation

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Grabner, G., Formanek, I., Dorda, W. et al. Human tear lysozyme. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 218, 265–270 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02175895

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02175895

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